Originally Posted by Benzadmiral

For those who have yet to make the acquaintance of John D. MacDonald's boat bum/detective/troubleshooter Travis McGee ("Darker than Amber," "The Deep Blue Goodbye," etc.):

McGee's car was one even more memorable than this -- a 1936-era Rolls-Royce that had been converted, post-accident, into a pickup. McGee tells us that he saw the car on a lot and loved it because it's electric-blue paint was the same shade as the hair of his 4th grade teacher, and he thereupon bought the car and named it after the teacher: "Miss Agnes." In a number of the stories he tells us how the car would be slow to get up to speed, but then would travel all day "at 80 in a sort of ghastly silence."